Riverview Ammonia Leak Forces Hundreds To Flee
RIVERVIEW - A 16-year-old boy drilling into a pipeline released a cloud of ammonia Monday evening, forcing what could be a two-day evacuation for hundreds of residents near the Alafia River.
The teenager suffered second-degree burns from his neck to his groin and was taken to Tampa General Hospital, where he was listed in stable condition. Five firefighters also were taken to Tampa General as a precaution and were released Monday night.
The evacuation area covers a half-mile radius from the intersection of U.S. 301 and Balm-Riverview Road. Officials with Hillsborough County Fire Rescue said Monday evening that the evacuation could last from 24 to 48 hours. U.S. 301 will remain closed for the length of the evacuation.
The sheriff's office released a statement saying the 16-year-old was drilling into the pipe because he had heard that there was money hidden there.
He had looked for the money Sunday. He returned Monday with two other teenagers and a drill, the sheriff's office said.
In 2003, a man in search of raw materials needed to make methamphetamine drilled into a different section of the same pipeline, creating a gas cloud in Lithia that forced the closure of two schools, scorched trees and killed wildlife.
Monday's incident began about 5:30 p.m., when residents began calling 911 to report the ammonia cloud.
Fire crews drove through nearby neighborhoods and ordered several hundred people to evacuate.
The county also used the reverse 911 system to make calls with a recorded message to more than 3,600 people in the area.
The 6-inch-diameter pipe runs about 28 miles from Port Sutton to two phosphate plants in Polk County and one in Hillsborough County.
The ammonia is used to make fertilizer.
Ammonia Flow Cut Off
Workers from Tampa Pipeline quickly turned off the flow of ammonia and isolated about a 200-yard section of pipe where the hole had been drilled.
As of 11 p.m., the ammonia was still leaking; workers were going to try to slip a sleeve over the hole.
If that didn't work, the plan was to wait for the remaining ammonia in the pipe to evacuate.
Firefighters' main weapon in the fight was a simple tool: water.
Firefighters used a steady stream of water to dilute the ammonia as it came out of the pipe.
Hillsborough County Fire Rescue trucks dotted the bridge, and spectators - some of them forced to evacuate - gathered at of U.S. 301 and Riverview Drive.
The county had opened up Riverview Elementary as a shelter, but most people opted to stay with friends or family.
Laura Stone, 42, of Palmetto Drive, ran back to her house even after firefighters told her to leave so she could get her 8-year-old Chihuahua, Precious.
"I don't care where I stay. I'll stay in my car if I have to as long as my dog and me are OK."
Richard Gallagher, 20, of Riverview Drive, was watching television with his cousin when firefighters announced the evacuation over loudspeakers as they drove through his neighborhood.
He and his cousin, also 20, left the house and watched as the scene unfolded.
"We had no idea what was going on," Gallagher said.
"We were watching TV, we were ready to eat, and then this happened," Gallagher said.
He said that he will stay with a relative for a few hours before going to work at 4 a.m. at his job at MacDill Air Force Base.
The initial evacuation area was a mile radius from the leak site, but that was soon downgraded to a half mile.
Fire Capt. Bruce Delk said rescuers had to weigh practicality with safety.
"We had to err on the side of caution, and we couldn't predict how large the hole was and how much ammonia was released," Delk said.
Severe Respiratory Irritant
Ammonia is a severe respiratory irritant that can cause burning in the eyes, runny noses, coughing and other sinus problems, said Cynthia Lewis-Younger, the medical director with the Florida Point Information Center in Tampa.
"It's very noxious," Lewis-Younger said. "If you get a high enough exposure, you can get frostbite - a bad skin burn."
It also can irritate the skin, throat and lungs, according to the Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry.
Lung damage and death can occur after exposure to high concentrations of ammonia, according to the registry.
The closer someone is to the source of the leak, the more rapidly symptoms will develop.
"This is not stuff to play with," Lewis-Younger said.
She recommends calling the poison center for advice on whether to seek further medical attention.
Devastating Environmental Effects
Ammonia also can have devastating environmental effects as well, said Rick Garrity, executive director of the Hillsborough County Environmental Protection Commission.
High concentrations of ammonia can hurt fish, crabs and shoreline vegetation, Garrity said.
In the water, ammonia can lead to fish kills, he said.
Environmental agency representatives will go out in the Alafia River in boats today to look for fish kills and other environmental problems, Garrity said.
Tampa Pipeline has operated a jet fuel pipeline from Port Tampa, near MacDill Air Force Base, to Tampa International Airport since 1971.
The company has launched a public relations campaign in an effort to stop Houston-based Kinder Morgan from building a competing jet fuel pipeline from Hookers Point, southeast of downtown.
Tampa Pipeline repaired a minor leak in the jet fuel pipeline along West Shore Boulevard this summer.
About 200 gallons of fuel were spilled on airport property when the line was struck by a backhoe operator in 2002.
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/21763497/
-------------------- When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro.
Edited by MrKite1 (11/16/07 01:17 PM)
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